Wet Weather Slated For Hard Red Winter Wheat Country
By Andrew Owen
Kansas City, May 19 (World Weather Inc.) – Wheat growth conditions in the central and southern U.S. Plains have been mostly favorable in recent weeks. Timely rain promoted favorable soil conditions. Light rain will be erratically distributed across hard red winter wheat country the next few days. The lack of significant rain will help firm up the topsoil in some of the wetter locations as temperature return to the 80s Fahrenheit. Alternating periods of rain and sunshine will then evolve for the remainder of the two week period. Frequent rainfall the remainder of this month will promote abundant soil moisture in many production areas. Crop growth and maturation rates will be slowed and minor quality reductions will be possible. In the meantime, the eastern half of the Corn and Soybean Belt will dry during the next seven days. Planting progress will gradually improve as the ground firms.
Timely rain fell across the central and southern Plains during the past month. Rainfall was near to above normal in most locations with pockets in western and central Oklahoma, western Kansas, and southwestern Nebraska that were slightly drier than normal. Portions of Texas, southern Nebraska, and eastern fringes of the production region in Kansas also received over two times normal rainfall for the 30 day period ending this morning. Areas from the Texas Panhandle through Oklahoma into southern and eastern Kansas were wettest in the most recent seven day period with moisture totals ranging from 0.75 to 2.15 inches.
Several areas in Oklahoma, eastern and northern Kansas, and southern Nebraska are excessively wet in the topsoil due to the recent precipitation and periods of cool weather during the past two weeks. Fieldwork has been sluggish in the wettest areas, though no major wheat quality declines were noted. Much of the winter wheat is rated favorably due to the timely rain and often warm weather since the beginning of April. However, drier weather is needed in the coming weeks as the wheat finishes heading and gets ready for the harvest. Over 90% of the wheat was headed in Texas and Oklahoma as of May 15, compared to 89% in Kansas. Only 20% of the wheat in Colorado and 34% of the wheat in Nebraska was headed.
Brief periods of light rain will evolve in portions of hard red winter wheat country through Saturday. Much of the precipitation will be too light to counter evaporation or impact long-term soil conditions. Fieldwork will advance swiftly during this period of time, although the wettest areas may need a few days before farmers can resume fieldwork. Daytime highs today (Thursday) were only in the 60s and lower 70s Fahrenheit, but much warmer conditions are expected to evolve in the next few days sending afternoon high temperatures back to the 80s and possibly over 90 this weekend. The warmer weather will promote more aggressive drying and a better environment for maturation.
Several waves of rain are slated to advance across the central and southern Plains Sunday and next week. The frequent precipitation will be enough to slow maturation and general fieldwork while also increasing soil moisture. A growing potential for wheat quality declines will evolve in eastern wheat areas in time without a break from the wetter bias. Frequent precipitation will potentially continue May 28 – June 2l. Although the high Plains region will likely see periods of abundant rain, the most significant rain is expected to fall further to the east.
Despite the higher frequency in precipitation, temperatures will remain warm in the central and southern Plains Sunday and the first half of next week. Highs will warm into the 70s and lower 80s north and 80s and lower 90s south. The warm weather will promote aggressive drying between rain events that help slow the increase in soil moisture.
Frequent precipitation and periods of cool weather were reported in several portions of the Midwest during the past two weeks. The greatest 
impact for the wet and cool weather was slowed or delayed corn and soybean planting in the eastern Corn Belt. The western Corn Belt saw favorable planting conditions earlier this spring and had a significant amount of the crop in the ground before the recent wet bias. Planting progress is still near or ahead of normal in most locations. However, planting is behind normal in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan making the next five days of drier weather extremely important.
Much of the eastern Corn and Soybean Belt will trend drier or much drier than normal through the first half of next week. Cool weather will linger for another day or two before a brief warming trend evolves over the weekend and continues through the first part of next week. The warm weather and lack of rain will help firm up the topsoil and promote more aggressive planting and establishment in most locations.
Rainfall will vary in the western Corn Belt during the coming week. Two disturbances will produce significant rain in eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, eastern South Dakota, and southern Minnesota Sunday and the first part of next week. Light and erratic rain will also occur at times through Saturday. Moisture totals for the seven day period ending next Wednesday will range from 0.50 to 2.50 inches with locally greater amounts. Other sections of the western Corn Belt will receive little or no rain of significance. Planting and general fieldwork will likely be slowed for the areas that receive the greatest amount of rain next week. Fieldwork will advance swiftly around the rain events for most other areas.
Timely rain will fall on a frequent basis in the southeastern states through Saturday before dry weather evolves Sunday and the first part of next week. Rainfall will be high enough to bolster soil moisture and promote a better environment for establishment and development. Fieldwork conditions will improve next week once the drier biased environment returns.
Planting conditions in the Delta have been mostly favorable as of late. Cotton planting in Louisiana is behind normal while planting is near to ahead of normal in most other locations. Alternating periods of rain and sunshine are slated for the Delta during the next two weeks. Planting will be slowed at times due to the rain. However, establishment and development conditions will be favorable for much of the production region.
Cotton planting is near normal for West Texas and Oklahoma so far this year. Periods of rain will evolve in both locations during the next two weeks that will often slow planting progress. Despite the periods of slowed planting, establishment and development conditions will be favorable in much of the region. South Texas, the Coastal Bend, and the Blacklands may trend a little too wet in the next week to ten days to support the best planting and growth conditions. Dry weather will be needed in June to firm up the soil and promote more aggressive development.
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